Back Pain Increases As Children and Adolescents Age

With all the studies evaluating the prevalence and cause of back pain, few have focused on back pain in our children and adolescents and none have been conducted on a larger scale.  Fortunately, this changed when doctors at the Hospital of Special Surgery in New York City surveyed 3,669 children and adolescents across the United States.  Their goal was to establish the prevalence of back pain in 10-18 year olds as well as identify any demographic or physical activity factors.  Their findings revealed that overall, 29% of the boys experienced back pain in the previous year.  Perhaps more surprisingly, this number rose to 38% in the girls.  Additionally, the occurrence of back pain increased steadily with the age of the children/adolescents.  Almost 80% of those studied stated they participated in a sport or physical activity.  As the level of competition increased and became more intense (travel teams vs. recreational athletes), so too did the occurrence of back pain.  Additionally, there was a strong correlation between the incidence of back pain and the style of backpack used.  Those using a two strap backpack were less likely to experience back pain as compared with those using rolling backpacks with two straps and the waistband fastened, or, those using backpacks with a single strap.  The data collected from this study shed light on the serious risk our youth face when it comes to back injuries.  Chiropractors undergo years of extensive study and training to identify and treat back pain, in both adults and children.  In fact, of those youth surveyed above who experienced back pain within the last year, approximately 34% sought chiropractic care.  If your child or adolescent is or has experienced back pain, we encourage you to schedule a no-commitment consultation with a licensed doctor of chiropractic today!